Blog | Page 42 of 63 | Rum Therapy

July 18, 2013May 29, 2019

Drunk Bay, St. John

Ever go to the beach to check out the….flotsam art? We didn’t take the short hike to Drunk Bay in St. John specifically for the art, but we ended up finding it to be, well, quite entertaining, actually.

Drunk Bay does not have one of the typically gorgeous St. John beaches, such as any of the north side beaches, but we found it worth a visit nonetheless. Walk down to the pretty Saltpond Bay Beach and look for a trail that takes you to Salt Pond (you can find Saltpond Bay and Drunk Bay on our St. John Map). Walk past the Salt Pond, (which we are told is a good place to collect useable St. John sea salt) and towards the rocky shoreline of Drunk Bay.

As you near the shoreline, you will begin to see some rather unusual man-made coral and rock formations scattered about.

Decorated with pieces of coconut husks, driftwood and other items washed up from the sea, some of them are quite unusual and perhaps even artistic? It appeared to be a virtual outdoor art gallery!

A few were even anatomically ~~correct~~ similar.

Apparently the collection is continually changing with the tide, the weather and the anonymous artists that come to create their own Drunk Bay masterpieces.

An easy hike and something quite different. Glad we went.
Is some of your artwork on display at Drunk Bay?

To see more posts on St. John and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

July 18, 2013December 18, 2020

Homemade Rum Cream

It’s not always easy to find a good bottle of Rum Cream to use when making a Hummingbird Cocktail , or just to sip over ice or to add to a cup of coffee, so if you find yourself coming up short when you need it the most, why not try making some of your own? Here is a basic recipe to use – but feel free to make it your own by adding more or less of the spices or different spices (nutmeg?) or substituting a little caramel for some of the chocolate syrup, or melting some good dark chocolate instead of using chocolate syrup. Mmmm…just imagine the possibilities…

*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!

Print Recipe

Homemade Rum Cream

Make your own rum cream, just the way you like it.

Course: Drinks

Ingredients

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 1/4 c. Amber or Gold Rum
1 c. Heavy Cream
2 Tbs. Chocolate Syrup
2 Tbs. Freshly Brewed Coffee
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp. Coconut Extract

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a blender and mix at high speed for a few minutes until blended and smooth.
Serve over ice or in coffee or store in tightly covered container in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

July 17, 2013November 7, 2020

Hummingbird

Recently a few of our readers asked if we had a recipe for a Hummingbird – a frozen rum cocktail that they enjoyed while vacationing in Jamaica. We hadn’t, but it sounded interesting, so we started searching for one. We ran across several of them – all slightly different and then made just a few small adjustments of our own. So – here’s our version of the Hummingbird. Sorry we can’t provide the beautiful Jamaican beach to go with it!

Print Recipe

Hummingbird

Course: Drinks

Servings:

Ingredients

1 oz. Gold Rum (we used Appleton)
1 oz. Rum Cream
1 oz. Coffee Flavored Liqueur
1 oz. Cream
2 Strawberries
1/2 Banana
1 1/2 c. Crushed Ice

Instructions

Add everything but the ice to a blender and mix.
Add the ice and blend until smooth and frothy.
Pour into a glass and garnish with a slice of banana and a strawberry, if desired.

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

July 16, 2013April 23, 2021

Saba Rock, British Virgin Islands

Saba Rock is a small, private island that sits in the beautiful North Sound of Virgin Gorda.

Update: Many of the businesses, buildings and residences in North Sound, Virgin Gorda were damaged or destroyed in the 2017 hurricanes including Saba Rock. They are rebuilding and hope to open in Fall 2021. Check their website for more information. The photo below was taken of Saba Rock in March 2020.

To see more posts on the British Virgin Islands and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Saba Rock is less than an acre in size and accessible by boat or ferry. We first visited Saba Rock during a sail trip when we stopped for just a few minutes to get gas and ice. During a recent trip to Virgin Gorda, we wanted to get back to Saba Rock to experience more of it, so we rented a dinghy from Leverick Bay Marina. By having a dinghy for the day, we were also able to explore neighboring Prickly Pear Island and enjoy a rum beverage at the Fat Virgin Cafe.

Saba Rock houses a restaurant – which we hear serves up succulent land & sea dinners, an over water lounge/bar, a boutique hotel, a full service marina, gift shoppe, 10 deep water slips and boat moorings.

View of Eustatia Island from the terrace at the Saba Rock Hotel.

Saba Rock has a ferry that will pick you up from several locations in the North Sound, such as Gun Creek and Leverick Bay – just call them to make arrangements.

Out back they have an excellent area to relax and enjoy the view of North Sound and the Bitter End Yacht Club, with nice soft sand and hammocks.

We spent some time lounging in the hammocks before heading back in to sample a Saba Rock Banana Daiquiri – recommended to us by a friend who thought they were absolutely the best around.

They were pretty darn good and the view made it even better…

To find out more, visit their website: Saba Rock

To see more posts on the British Virgin Islands and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

July 12, 2013September 25, 2019

Loblolly Bay, Anegada

It’s really not that easy to get to Anegada in the British Virgin Islands, which is good because if it were, everyone would go. And part of Anegada’s charm is the fact that many times you can walk for miles along one of it’s gorgeous beaches and not see a single soul. That’s our kind of beach!

Loblolly Bay is located on the north side of Anegada. You can easily get a taxi to Loblolly from Setting Point or The Settlement. See the map below for more information on the location of Loblolly Bay.

Loblolly has some really good snorkeling in areas, but our favorite thing to do on Loblolly is to walk the seemingly unending white sand beach and play in the powder blue water.

Big Bamboo Beach Bar & Restaurant is located at the entrance to Loblolly. We didn’t have a chance to sample the food, but hear it’s very good and we certainly enjoyed a few cold rum beverages.

Big Bamboo Beach Bar

Another restaurant/bar called Flash of Beauty (love that name) is located close by.

There are palapas for shade, and also a dive and gift shop, restrooms and showers available at Big Bamboo.

Take a day trip from Tortola or Virgin Gorda, or plan to stay longer in the Loblolly Beach Cottages or one of the other small inns found on the island.

A little peace and quiet mixed with some spectacular beach scenery. We’re ready to go back – how about you?

To see more posts on the British Virgin Islands and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

July 9, 2013October 13, 2013

An Olympus Waterproof Camera

We’re the type of travelers that like to have the convenience of taking a pic wherever we feel there could be a good photo (like while floating in the beautiful Caribbean water!) but, we don’t want to be trekking through the islands with lots of heavy and expensive equipment. So, when we recently broke the camera housing for our point and shoot camera, we started to research possibilities for a new camera – one that didn’t have to be placed in a separate housing unit.

After reading some reviews and spending some time at the electronics store, we ended up purchasing an Olympus TG-1iHS 12 MP Waterproof Digital Camera.

We’re not saying this is THE BEST waterproof camera out there – we haven’t had an opportunity to try many of the others, but we thought we’d tell you of our experience with this one, in case you’re doing some research on a new waterproof camera of your own.

What we like:

1. No camera housing. Seems really strange to just walk into the water with your camera without adding any housing or protection of any kind, but you can with this one!

2. Fast shutter speed. The regular setting is fairly fast, and if you set it to the sport setting, you can take numerous shots in rapid succession – perfect when you’re trying to capture that barracuda swimming by…

3. Large viewfinder. Good for making sure you’ve got that cool turtle in the shot.

4. Picture clarity. As long as the lens doesn’t have any water spots, the photos are very clear!

5. It has a rechargeable battery and it seems that the battery keeps a charge for fairly long, which helps when you want to spend LOTS of time in the beautiful water.

The camera also has video capabilities, but we haven’t had the chance to try that feature out yet. The camera is waterproof to 40 ft., shockproof and sturdy. So far, we really don’t have any complaints.

The bad news? The Olympus TG-1iHS seems to have been discontinued. The good news? It’s been replaced with an updated version – the Olympus Stylus TG-2 iHS Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom and 3-Inch LCD (Black) which looks to have the same great features as its predecessor and according to the specs, is now waterproof to a level of 5o ft! And – at a price of $379.oo seems to be slightly lower than what we paid for the TG-1.

Do you have the Olympus TG-1 or TG-2? If so, what are your thoughts on its performance? Or – do you have another waterproof camera that you would recommend?

July 8, 2013June 6, 2019

Magic Ice, St. Thomas

We don’t usually associate freezing temperatures with a tropical vacation, but on our recent trip to St. Thomas we experienced just that – and enjoyed it!

Located on the Waterfront in downtown Charlotte Amalie (just down from Bones Rum and Big Kahuna Rum Shack), Magic Ice might be a fun way to escape the tropical heat while checking out some intricate ice sculptures and an ice bar!

Once you enter the lobby of Magic Ice, you are given a huge parka with a fur rimmed hood, velcro leg warmers in case you show up in shorts and mittens.

After suiting up in our arctic gear, our guide led us into the “cold room” filled with magical ice sculptures backlit with a variety of beautiful colors.

When we visited, the sculptures included a myriad of sea creatures, an ice throne that you could sit in, an ice slide for the young or young at heart and various island and pirate themed pieces, such as this skull and crossbones.

New ice sculptures are created every six months, when ice artists from all over the globe are flown in to create a new gallery of ice art.

At the end of the ice room we came across the ice bar complete with a great variety of Cruzan Rums and were treated to our choice of a VERY COLD shot of rum…yum…

After about 20 minutes, we exited the ice room, got back in to our tropical attire and left cooler and refreshed to go explore more of the waterfront in Charlotte Amalie.

Visit their website to find out more about Magic Ice, St. Thomas

Find Magic Ice on our St. Thomas Map

To see more posts on St. Thomas and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

July 3, 2013June 28, 2021

Poppin’ Strawberry Colada

We wanted to post this one sooner, but finding pop rocks turned out to be quite the feat! We thought this might be a good recipe for the holiday weekend – festive, cold and rummy – and with a little sizzle and pop! This can easily be made without rum for the “yung uns” and designated drivers! Be safe and enjoy!

Print Recipe

Poppin' Strawberry Colada

Servings:

Ingredients

3 oz Gold Rum
4 oz Pineapple Juice
1 c Frozen Strawberries
1 oz Coconut Cream
1 c Ice
2 envelopes Strawberry Pop Rocks
Blueberries for Garnish

Instructions

Blend rum, pineapple juice, strawberries and coconut cream until smooth.
Add ice and blend until creamy.
Dip the rim of two small glasses in a small bowl of pineapple juice, then dip in pop rocks (put the pop rocks on a plate for easier access). The rocks will begin to pop as soon as they get wet, but there is still some residual popping to enjoy as you sip!
Add a garnish of blueberries for color. Cheers!

Dune Preserve, Anguilla

On an picturesque stretch of sand on beautiful Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla, sits Dune Preserve, an ever changing bar/restaurant/music lounge owned by famous reggae musician Bankie Banx.

Dune Preserve sits between the beautiful CuisinArt Resort and Spa and its Greg Norman designed golf course, and is ever changing because owner Bankie and friends continually add to the work of art with predominately salvaged and discarded wood and other materials found in the area.

We loved checking out the funky decor and chatting with a few of the locals hanging out there the day we visited, but we’d love to go back someday to enjoy the live music.

The Dune Preserve is home to the annual Moonsplash Festival, a several day event featuring world class musicians and usually a few surprise guests. Apparently both Jimmy Buffet and John Mayer have stopped in to jam at past festivals.

Great place to enjoy a tasty libation and food along with a fantastic view of Rendezvous Bay and St. Martin and if you can time it right, some great live music.

Find out more by visiting the Bankie Banx Website.

Find Dune Preserve on our Anguilla Map

To see more posts on Anguilla and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

June 28, 2013November 7, 2020

Frozen Rum Concoctions

There’s booze in the blender and soon it will render
That frozen concoction that helps me hang on…Jimmy B.

Nothing like a hot summer day to get ya thinking of a frozen concoction! If you think one might help you hang on this weekend, here are a few suggestions – with rum, of course!